DEATH AND HOPE

In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord,
high and exalted,
seated on a throne;
and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Isaiah 6:1 - NIV

Often it is necessary for the good to die so that something better can replace it. King Uzziah was good, but he died unexpectedly. With his death, many were terrified because Uzziah represented hope in the face of the threat of their land being invaded and conquered by enemy powers.

Certainly it was fear that took Isaiah to the temple for solace. In his contemplation fear was transformed into amazement and astonishment by way of a new vision of a reality that transcended the political landscape. Beyond Uzziah there was a greater truth. The temple represented the world filled by presence of the Eternal One. That moment marked the life of Isaiah forever. There came the question: "Who would speak this Truth?" It would be those who could see it!

History not only repeats itself, but the dangers increase in intensity, and the "actors" become more numerous. Many present themselves as a great hope, making promises in order to get votes and gain power. Reformists appear, but when they do gain authority they become more corrupt than that which they promise to eliminate. In this scenario we ask: "Is there salvation?"

We are witnessing death, many deaths, the death of hope for better days, hope for peace, hope for social wellbeing, hope for tolerance and compassion in religion and hope for social justice. We are seeing the death of humanity, the death of nature, the death of Earth, and apparently the death of a God of love and mercy. Will the death of humanity be necessary for the salvation of life on Earth?

It was only after feeling the reality of death and having the vision of the higher power of the Good (God) that Isaiah underwent a cleansing of spirit and became a candidate to be the bearer of a new message of hope. The power of the Good surpasses everything we deem important. Our values are transient, our responses inadequate and our ideals limited. When we are in communion and harmony with the basic Goodness of the universe "success" and "failure" are secondary. The important thing is to be on the side of Goodness, Truth and Love, without measuring the consequences in relation to personal "costs" or "benefits". The important thing is to trust that Good is better than evil, that Love is better than hate, that Forgiveness is better than vengeance, that Self-giving is our best security, and that death is a part of life. The destruction of old hopes may be the way that the Good brings new hope and new possibilities. Our partnership with the Good can free us from despair as we face the bleakness of what is immediately before us.

The courage of the prophet was from his seeing that Good overshadowed the immediate tragedy of the death of King Uzziah. It was the same vision of Jesus who lived like the "lilies of the field" and the "birds of the air." as the result of his trust in the providence of the Father whom he addressed as “Daddy”. He lived Love in a world of hatred. Died loving even while being reviled. This view can also be ours if we can say with Isaiah: "Here I am. Send me!"

ISAIAH 6:1-8 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”